10 Actors Who Refused To Promote Their Own Movies

Not every actor is happy to bang the drum once the work is done.

Jim Carrey Kick Ass
Universal Pictures

Once a high profile project has wrapped and is about to be released in cinemas, it's pretty much expected at this point that the actors involved will embark on a press tour of some sorts to hype up the impending release. If you've brought in a big name star, you may as well use them, right?

For mega blockbusters like the Avengers and Star Wars films, these tours can see high profile thespians flown all over the world as they appear on various talk shows, comic book convention panels and glamorous red carpets for the movie's premiere.

Not every actor is completely willing to sell the product they've spent months of their lives working on, though, and some have even completely denounced their film just as audiences drank it in for the very first time.

Whether it was down to a change of heart regarding the content of the feature, not wanting to work during their time away from set or actively avoiding having to share a room with a co-star they despised, each of these following ten actors decided that they definitely didn't want to be involved with the promotion side of things once their new film hit the big screen.

10. Edward Norton - The Incredible Hulk

Jim Carrey Kick Ass
Universal Studios

It's been well documented that Edward Norton wasn't exactly the easiest star to work with during the production of The Incredible Hulk (2008). His attitude towards the film's script and Marvel way of doing things eventually led to Mark Ruffalo's casting as Bruce Banner for the films that followed.

However, whilst still acting as the fledgling MCU's big green ball of fury, Norton's frustrations with the screenwriters and direction his character had gone down during the flick led to him completely ducking the press tour.

The show went on, though, as Norton's co-star Liv Tyler - playing Betty Ross in the film - and director Louis Leterrier professionally did the rounds while the leading actor reportedly went on vacation.

This clearly didn't help Norton's cause when it came to his future in the MCU as a whole, and Ruffalo definitely made for a less problematic and reliable substitute going forward.

In the years since his brief Hulk adventure came to an end, Norton has admitted that he really enjoyed working on the project. But, he also confessed that the commitment needed to consistently play that role and promote it would've kept him from performing in other genres outside of the superhero world.

The MCU life isn't for everyone and Norton's departure proved to be the best move for all involved.

Contributor
Contributor

Lifts rubber and metal. Watches people flip in spandex and pretends to be other individuals from time to time...